Chapter 601 Thrilling
Suddenly, the car door flew open.
Harper clutched an LCD car key she'd swiped from Arthur.
In a flash, she fired up the engine and gunned it towards the gate.
The gate was shut tight, but Harper didn't even flinch, like she was ready to plow right through it.
The security guard at the gate was freaking out. If she crashed and it turned deadly, he'd be in deep trouble.
He quickly turned to Arthur, "Mr. Hernandez, what should I do?"
Arthur watched the car barreling forward, showing no signs of stopping.
Harper seemed like a quiet girl, but her wild and clever streaks were just like Arthur's.
She was pushing his buttons.
After a quick think, Arthur made up his mind, "Open the gate!"
No matter how pricey the supercar was, hitting the gate at that speed was a death wish.
And even if Harper managed to get out, she wouldn't get far.
Just as the car was seconds from the gate, it swung open, and she zoomed out.
Harper stared at the open road ahead, totally shocked. It took her a few seconds to process it.
Harper yelled out, "Mom, we did it! We're out!"
Elodie was still a bit out of it. Being locked up in a basement for decades had messed her up pretty bad.
But Harper's excitement was contagious.
Even though Elodie didn't get everything, the word "escape" hit home.
Escape had been Elodie's only hope for so long.
Elodie's face lit up, and she tapped on the window. Harper got the hint and rolled it down, but only halfway to be safe.
Even with just a small crack, Elodie was thrilled. She stuck her fingers out, grabbed some wind, and took a deep breath.
Her face was pure bliss. This was the wind of freedom, the smell of liberty.
Seeing Elodie so happy made it all worth it for Harper.
Her sweaty palms had finally cooled down. She'd been betting on Arthur having a sliver of a conscience.
Arthur, being the smart guy he was, probably figured out Harper's plan—to force his hand.
In her frantic escape, she had Elodie sit in the back seat of the car, as it was the safest place in the event of an accident.
Arthur saw Harper's resolve. If he didn't open the gate, she'd really crash into it!
Harper's determination was clear, especially since she'd thought about Elodie's safety.
After driving for a while, Harper decided to use the navigation system to figure out where she was.
She didn't know Emerald Isle well and wasn't sure if she was still there, with no road signs in sight.
It felt like she was just going in circles.
The car's GPS finally told her she was in Velvet City.
Harper was stunned. She'd actually made it to Velvet City!
This place was far from Emerald Isle, separated by a long stretch of sea. Velvet City was remote and desolate, but the scenery was beautiful.
It was clear now—Arthur had taken them off Emerald Isle by boat.
If they'd left by land or air, Arthur wouldn't have been able to pull it off.
But the water route had too many variables and escape routes, giving them a shot at getting away.
And from the looks of it, Arthur planned to move them from Velvet City to somewhere else, probably multiple places.
That was why tracking Arthur was such a nightmare.
Harper realized that no wonder Jasper and the others didn't arrive quickly after she sent the signal; they were a whole country away, so it was impossible for them to get there fast.
Harper thought of the car's smart system and gave it a shot, "Please help me call the police!"
The AI responded, "Connecting you to the Velvet City Coast Guard."
Harper felt a rush of hope. She'd guessed that while many car systems couldn't make regular calls, they could handle emergency ones.
If she could just get in touch with the local cops, they could hold out until Jasper arrived.
No matter how powerful Arthur was, he couldn't have influence everywhere.
Harper pulled over and anxiously waited for the call to go through.
It connected.
She heard typing, and the operator asked, "Hello, how can I help you?"
Harper quickly said, "My mom and I have been kidnapped. I think the bad guys are tracking us."
The operator asked, "Can you tell me who the perpetrator is and your exact location?"
Harper replied, "The guy who took us is an international fugitive. He's done a lot of bad stuff. As for where we are, I'm not sure. There's just the sea around. The GPS says we're on Blue Moon Isle."
She mentioned the international fugitive bit to grab their attention.
Jasper and the others had probably dug up a lot of dirt on Arthur. Calling him an international fugitive wasn't a stretch.
The operator went silent for a few seconds.
Just as Harper started to feel uneasy, she heard a familiar male voice, "Harper, I'm an international fugitive?"
Harper's heart sank, and she wanted to cut the call!
But Arthur must've had the car bugged. He said, "I know where you are. Even if you drive for another ten hours, there's no one around."
Harper's hands shook with rage!
The car's system was under Arthur's control, and the operator was a fake.
Arthur's voice was calm, "Be a good girl, stop the car, and wait for me to come get you and your mom."
Then, with a cold edge, Arthur added, "If anything happens to your mom, you don't need to live either."
The casual threat took Harper back to that rainy night, the severed limbs, the man in the red suit, and the pouring rain.
Every inch of Harper's skin crawled.
Arthur, her biological father who claimed he'd protect her, was threatening to kill her again.
Just because he didn't see submission in Harper, he wanted her dead.
Arthur was a monster.
Arthur, this selfish and paranoid man, always followed his own twisted logic, blood ties be damned.
Arthur had just given his final warning.
Harper cut off the system, yanked out the headrest, and smashed it hard against the smart screen.
She wanted to completely sever Arthur's control.
When she tried to start the car again, she was shocked to find it wouldn't budge.
The engine was dead, and no matter what she did, it wouldn't start.
Harper's panic rose, sweat dripping down her face. She realized Arthur must've disabled the car's system.
That was why he'd told her to wait for him.
Harper glanced back at Elodie, who was staring out the window, captivated by the blue island.
Harper made up her mind and said, "Mom."
Elodie turned to look at her, recognizing the call.
Harper smiled, "Let's play a game."
Arthur was in a car, his bodyguard driving like a maniac.
When they spotted the black car Harper had taken, the bodyguard stopped and turned back, "Mr. Hernandez, it's up ahead."
Arthur got out leisurely and walked to the car, finding it empty. He let out a cold chuckle.
He knew Harper wouldn't listen. He clenched his fists, thinking about how to punish her when he found her.
Should he cut her tendons or poison her mute? Since Harper had the nerve to incite Elodie to leave, Arthur decided he might as well do both.
He ordered the bodyguards to search the area. Only fifteen minutes had passed since he disabled the car's power. He believed Elodie and Harper couldn't have gone far.
Soon, the bodyguard reported back, "Mr. Hernandez, there's an abandoned church up ahead."
With no other traces around, it was likely they were in the church.
Arthur walked towards the church. Inside, he made the sign of the cross on his chest and forehead, then clasped his hands together in a pious prayer, "Lord, forgive me."
Then, Arthur waved his hand, "Search!"
After the four burly bodyguards had searched everywhere, they reported that only the attic remained unsearched, and its door was locked.
Arthur smiled slightly, "I'll handle it."
He kicked open the attic door and saw Harper inside.
Arthur gestured to the bodyguards, "Stand guard downstairs."
"Yes, Mr. Hernandez." Two bodyguards guarded the stairs, and two guarded the entrance.
Arthur walked in, noticing Elodie wasn't there. He asked, "Harper, where's Elodie?"
Harper stood her ground, smiling, "Mr. Hernandez, you kidnapped my mom."
Arthur laughed, "Harper, you may not know me well, but those who betray me don't end well."
"Why should I know you?" Harper scoffed, "You forcibly kept us there, which was wrong. Escaping with my mom isn't betrayal."
Arthur's face darkened, and he sneered, "Harper, I advise you not to anger me."
Harper coldly retorted, "Mr. Hernandez, your logic is twisted no matter where you apply it."
Arthur smiled slightly, "As long as you can bear the consequences."
"Isn't it just about killing me? It's not the first time." Harper said indifferently, "Is it the fourth time or countless times?"
Seeing Arthur's face turn cold, Harper pressed on, "You must have tormented me a lot for Audrey. Audrey is just as twisted as you are. You two are the real family."
Arthur's patience seemed to snap. He slowly approached, "Harper, I suggest you tell me where Elodie is now, and I might spare your life."
Arthur was closing in, and Harper seized the moment to swing the stick she had hidden behind her.
But this time, Arthur was ready. He caught the stick with his hands, gripping it tightly.
No matter how Harper pulled, she couldn't get it back.
Arthur's other hand effortlessly grabbed Harper's neck. He pinned her against the edge of the attic's only window.
Harper was choked, unable to speak, and clung tightly to the window frame, fearing she would fall.
The attic was dozens of feet above the ground. Falling from it would either kill her or leave her a vegetable!
Arthur's eyes were filled with rage, looking like he was ready to kill her.
For Arthur, there was no daughter anymore. Initially, he had thought of compensating Harper. But Harper taking Elodie away was something Arthur couldn't tolerate.
No matter who it was, even his child, they had to die!
Seeing Harper tightly pursing her lips, showing no intention of speaking, Arthur sneered, "Still not talking?"
His face twisted with malice, and he tightened his grip, "You really want to die."
With those words, Harper's body was halfway out the window.
"Stop!" A furious shout came from below.
Harper, hanging upside down, felt her blood rush to her head, and her vision darkened.
She barely opened her eyes and saw that the person below was Jasper.
Jasper had arrived.
Arthur had left in a hurry, and the four bodyguards he brought were taken down by Jasper's men.
Arthur also looked out and, seeing Jasper, smiled, "It's a good day, all the people who should die are gathered together."
"You lunatic, let go of my sister, or I'll kill you!" Jasper shouted.
Arthur pulled a gun from his waistband and aimed it at Jasper, "How will you kill me, idiot? See if your men are faster or my bullet."
Harper was being choked by Arthur, and Jasper was exposed to Arthur's gun.
It seemed both were trapped, with no advantage.
Arthur, running out of patience, shouted at Jasper, "I suggest you persuade Harper to tell me where Elodie is, or I'll kill her first, then you."
Jasper didn't compromise, "Arthur, I've reported to the police. A large force from Velvet City and Emerald Isle is on their way. I advise you to surrender."
Arthur frowned, "You really don't understand me."
"I'll count to three." Arthur sinisterly said, "By the third count, you'll see Harper's head blown off, lying in front of you, and then you'll both die."
Jasper's scalp tingled, and he roared, "How dare you!"
Arthur's lips curled up, and he coldly said, "Three, two..."
Just as he was about to say "one," a shadow flashed by.
Harper was suddenly thrown aside by an unknown force, followed by a loud crash, like someone falling from a great height.
Harper's heart pounded wildly, she thought she smelled the cold scent of cedar.
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（I highly recommend a captivating book that I couldn't put down for three days and nights. It's incredibly engaging and a must-read. The title of the book is "The Billionaire's Forbidden Longing" You can find it by searching for it in the search bar.）
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